The Negacion came towards Yugo and grabbed him, dangling him by the tip of its tongue, covered in blackish mucus.
Yugo could hear the mandibles snapping, ready to tear him apart in a few moments if he didn't do something.
But nothing.
To be honest, he was out of ideas and in a very bad , if not alarming, state. His wounds had reopened, or actually worsened, and he had no more Kilith — since he'd used what little he had left to stabilise himself — and above all, no more weapons.
As well. as no way out that he could think of.
'Ah... so that's my limit.' He thought.
Battered, tired and, ultimately, lost, Yugo did what he thought was right in this particularly desperate situation. He closed his eyes, resolved to his fate, hoping that death would come soon.
...It never came.
Feeling himself fall, all his ears could capture as sound, were the monster's cries of agony.
As he made contact with the ground, Yugo felt no pain, as he might have rightfully expected. In fact, he felt nothing. Except perhaps a strange but comfortable, and familiar, inner calm, which at that very moment was somewhat terrifying — If he was in his normal state, that is.
When he turned his head, without actually knowing how and where he had got the strength from, his body did not hurt. His eyes showed him his outstretched arm, whose hand was still holding his sword as firmly as possible. Turning his head upwards, Yugo faced the creature directly, and still felt nothing.
He saw the monster launching an attack, but felt himself dodging the blow, without really knowing why or how.
In fact, at that very moment, Yugo felt like he was watching a scene from a film in first-person view. He was just a spectator of all the scenes and actions that were taking place before his eyes, but over which he had no influence.
He could only see, without knowing or really feeling.
See his arm strike with the sword, without knowing why.
See his feet move and push him to avoid an attack, without really understanding how.
See blood coming out of his mouth, but not tasting it.
Feel his jaw and lips move, without hearing what he was saying.
See arrows of energy shoot at the creature, without knowing how.
Find himself in the air, then on the ground again, without feeling the slightest contact.
See blood pour from his arm, completely bent in half, without feeling the slightest pain.
See his limbs snap back into place and his sword back in his hand, without understanding what was happening.
See one of the creature's legs detach from its body, without knowing how.
See the Negacion recoil and open its mouth, without hearing the slightest sound.
Feel a tickle somewhere on its body, without knowing where.
Watch his hand remove a piece of metal from his shoulder, without feeling any pain.
See himself suddenly appear at the back of the monster, without knowing how.
See his arm rise up and slice off the monster's tail, without knowing where the energy was coming from.
See himself back in front of the creature, without knowing why.
See a barrier appear, without understanding how.
Finally, he decided to close his eyes and let things unfold, tired of simply being a spectator.
***
Yugo had the impression of sinking, peacefully and slowly, into the depths of a calm pond, whose bottom he reached soon enough, which wasn't a bottom at all.
There was no water where he was.
No ground.
No top
No bottom.
There was nothing.
Just a white void.
Rather... there was something.
Lost in this white void, Yugo saw a silhouette, shapeless but at the same time humanoid — with features both familiar and blurred — approaching and touching him, making him feel a warm and familiar contact, but at the same time uncomfortable. It whispered words to him that he couldn't hear but thought he knew.
He saw himself sitting on a non-existent floor, chatting amiably with the figure, sometimes near, sometimes far, who spoke to him with laughter, always without him knowing what the conversation was about.
Yugo saw the figure rise from and go from the surrounding white as a color, to an abysmal black where no light could be reflected. Truth be told, It felt like this darkness which the figure had begun was meant to devour all light touching it.
He saw it come closer, touching him again, but this time making him feel a cold that was both unfamiliar and, strangely, vaguely familiar.
He felt himself being contaminated by the shapeless mass of darkness, until his whole body was covered in it, except for his left eye.
He saw himself fighting against the parasite but at the same time embracing it.
He felt himself close his eyes and open them at the same time.
Then he felt a somewhat familiar warmth reach him and caress his skin, once more.
He felt the warmth replace the darkness on his body, and he reopened his eyes — which were not really closed
He felt two other figures holding his hands.
Then, suddenly, he came up from the depths of the pond, regaining his senses as he got closer to the surface.
'I must be dreaming... or dead.' Yugo thought.
Then he opened his eyes and heard voices calling to him.
He felt Kilith energy flowing through his body and someone turned him over, patting his back. Suddenly, all the blood trapped in his throat rose and he coughed until his vocal cords broke.
He was put back in his original position and someone pulled him backwards.
He fainted.
***
When he opened his eyes again, Yugo saw blurred but familiar figures standing up.
"Hey kid! Did you think you could have all the fun, and then die alone?!"
Yugo, shocked by what he saw, couldn't believe his eyes and stood up so quickly that he ignored the pain that was still hitting him.
"Rickard?!"
His senses coming back to life, the pain slapped him in the face, and he winced.
Looking up, he saw a small group of familiar faces.
"Lavitha! Luka! Doctor Tory! Is that you?!"
These people he had rescued during the Negacion's first attack, were now there at his side.
"Yes, young master!" replied Lavitha, almost smiling.
"But what are you doing here? The monster he's going to—"
"Don't worry, you've done enough as it is..."
Turning his head, Yugo almost screamed when he saw the person speaking behind him.
"Mr Mayor!"
Karlen looked at him and smiled.
His outfit was completely open where he'd been wounded, and bandages dotted his body, but he paid no further attention, seemingly unbothered by the apparent pain that harassed him.
"Thank the gods, you're alive!" said Yugo in a small voice.
Karlen approached and patted Yugo on the left shoulder.
"Yes, I am... and the guards too... Thanks to the potion you gave to my wife." he answered.
Feeling relieved, Yugo sighed profoundly.
"In the span of one night, you managed to save the people of this city, bring them closer together and unfold a plot meant to do them harm. And now, all these same people are fighting alongside you!" Karlen continued.
Yugo didn't understand what Karlen meant at first, but when he saw Lavitha looking in the direction of the monster, he followed her sight, turning his head.
He saw all the people from the shelter, and many others, throwing flaming projectiles, attacking the limbs of the Negacion with swords and axes, and forming up in attack and defence formations.
The monster itself was a mess, as if it had fought a fierce battle with another member of its species, or an evolution of its race. Its viscera dangled or swayed to the rhythm of its movements.
Of its nine legs, only three remained. Its tail was sliced almost to the base, and three of its eyes were completely out of action. He had puncture wounds all over his body and black blood and gas were leaking out of everywhere and flooding the ground.
"What happened?" asked Yugo.
He couldn't think for much longer, though, because the Negacion took a short jump and dropped.
The impact shook the ground a little, and the citizens were thrown off balance, some crushed by the debris that leaked everywhere because of the beast's mass.
Yugo conjured up a large barrier to protect the troops at his side and shouted to the others to stand back behind the columns and cars, which were overturned and/or dented.
Once the mini-earthquake had subsided, the citizens resumed their charges.
Yugo struggled to his feet and examined the situation.
The tactic adopted by the inhabitants seemed to be one of exhaustion. They attacked in groups, taking it in turns to constantly harass the Negacion, and retreated at the slightest suspicious movement from the monster.
Yugo leaned on his sword with his now-valid hand and cogitated.
'The citizens are well organised, but they won't last long like this against that thing.'
As soon as he'd finished thinking that, the monster struck, sending a dozen people flying.
"Mr Mayor, please call them back! It's not up to the-"
"They won't listen to me. At least not since they know everything!" cut in the mayor.
Rickard patted him on the shoulder.
"Like the mayor said, you've done enough for this city. It's up to us to protect it, at first!" he said, staring determinedly at the monster.
A crash sounded.
The monster had jumped with all its remaining strength. Once high in the air, it rolled into a huge ball and began its descent.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" shouted Yugo, not quite understanding how he could do so and not be in pain.
Without him having to say anything else, the people who had been fighting split into small groups and moved as far away from the esplanade as possible.
The impact of the descent caused the ground to tremble again and the townsfolk present held on to each other as tightly as they could to keep from wobbling.
When things calmed down, they resumed their assault, although the monster decapitated some of them with a simple flick of its tongue.
"Tell them to stop this massacre!" urged Yugo, furious.
He grabbed Karlen's collar.
"This isn't their fight! They don't have to die-"
"That's where you're wrong, young master!" interrupted Karlen.
Lavitha grabbed Yugo's arm.
"We know that the people in the cathedral were behind the birth of that monster and tonight's attack!"
"And not only that! Tonight's attack, the one that happened twenty five years ago in Toka, and also the fact that the barrier failed. I told them everything."
Added Aleone, who came to join her husband.
She still had the black marks of her corrupted Kilith infection, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Even then... you're just civilians!"
"And you're just a kid! It doesn't matter if you're a "Shadow" or else! Let us help you a little!" retorted Rickard.
Yugo almost had tears in his eyes, but his sense of duty as a reaper called him to order.
"Thanks, but it's my mission to purify this Negacion."
"And we're telling you that this time, you're not alone!" insisted Rickard, ruffling Yugo's scarlet hair.
Yugo felt happy to receive so much help and affection from someone he'd only known for a few hours.
Taking his sword, he infused it with his Kilith, and picked up a stone.
"Well then, I'll purify it... with you all!"
Yugo threw the stone, and transposed himself to it, then in the same movement, threw his sword, which sank into the flesh of the creature — which uttered a cry of agony worthy of a cornered beast — and transposed himself to the sword.
He held on as tightly as he could to the creature's slimy skin and slid down to its abdomen.
One of the citizens, who had seen him do it, threw his sword at him. Yugo retrieved it and tore the beast apart, letting gravity do the work. He fell on his side and rolled, picking up another pebble at the same time and throwing it back where his sword had been.
Yugo transposed himself to the pebble and retrieved his sword. Following the same line of action, he incanted a barrier that protected the citizens nearby from a swipe of the giant beast's paw.
"Flamae"
He deactivated the barrier and sliced into the paw, which burst into flames from the gas. After that, he called everyone back into retreat.
The city's militiamen resumed their defensive formation, led by Yugo, and continued their tactics.
However, the creature jumped and rolled again into a ball, sending tens of new people tumbling, the vast majority of them crushed to death by the impact or the rubble that flew everywhere.
Yugo threw a stone back towards where Karlen and the others were, transposed himself there, incanted his barrier and barely protected them.
He gasped, still visibly affected by his precedent battle.
"Take it easy, young master! We'll get there, but you've got to look after yourself." Lavitha urged.
As he looked at her, Yugo leaned on his sword and exhaled deeply.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot out from behind them and struck the Negacion.
It did enough damage to affect the Negacion greatly.
Yugo and his group turned their heads in the direction of the flash.
They saw people in full grey armour, disembarking in military vehicles. There were many of them and they had a banner depicting a sun behind a bird with outstretched wings, itself holding a sword in its talons.
"At last! The knights!" cried Karlen.